Safety third rail for electric railways.



W. H. PARNELL, JR. SAFETY THIRDRAIL POR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

4APPLICATION FILED MAY 6, 1907 1 ,1 1 3,680, Patented' 00u13, 1914.

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W. H. PARNELL, JR.

SAFETY THIRD RAIL POR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY ,6, 1907- Patented Got. 13, 1914.

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WALTER n. PARNELL', JR., or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK,

SAFETY THIRD FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

4-fpeeicef'iihn of Letters Patent.

Patented oct. I13, 1914.,

Application filed May 6, 1907. Serial No. 372,067.

To all lwhom t may concern:

Be it known that l, WALTER 'electric current, when a vehicle is running adjacent thereto.

Referring .to the drawings Figure l represents an elevation of the invention with a portion of a car. Fig. 2 shows a section of Fig. l on' the line 2, 2, Fig. 3 is any enlarged portion of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 shows a section of Fig. l on the line 4, 4, Fig. 5 represents the accompanying end of a pair of sections or units of the third rail with their appurte# nances, Fig. 6 represents a partial enlarged end View of Fig. l, and partial enlarged sections O Fig. l on the lines 6, 6 and 6a, 6, Fig. 7 shows a section of Fig. 6 on the line 7, 7, .Fig 8 is a section of Fig. 6 on the line 8, 8, Fig. 9 represents an enlarged sec-` tion ofkFig. 6 on the line Q, 9, Fig. 10 represents a partial section of Fig. 9 on the line 10, l0.

A vehicle20is represented with the wheels 2l that are supported on the track 22. A third rail comprising units or sections 23 is located parallel to the track 22. The third rail sections are secured on insulated blocks 24 which latter are carried by the spindles 25 that extend `from the plates 26, 27 carried on the cross ties 28.

A bracket 32 extends from the truck 33, and on it is supported a fuse box 34 containing a fuse not shown. A bracket 35 is bolted to the bracket 32, insulating material 36 separating .the two brackets. lating arm 37 is pivoted to the .bracket 35 by means-ofthe pin 38. `A lug 39 extends from the 'arm 37 to bear against the bracket 35 and a spring 40 extends from the bracket 35 to bear on the arm 37 To the swinging end ofthe 'arm 37 is fastened a flexible elliptic spring shaped shoe 41, which latter is H. PARNELL, Jr., a citizen of the United States, and a to a safety third Adellect downwardly as shown.

An oscil-V y When the af-il .section 45 located tobear on the top face of the third rail sections 23. i

Movable coverl rail-sections of insulating materiah'preferablyof wood, have fastened to their 'faces hinge plates 46 that are pinned to the armsl 47 of the bell cranks 48, by means of the pins 49. The bell cranks 48, are fulcruni'ed to 'the'brackets 50 having'the side plates-"51, by means of the pins 52.

Swinging arms 53 are pinned tothe hinge plates 54 extending from the movable cover rail 45,the arms 53 being fulcrumed in the brackets 55. The ends of the .movable cover rails 45 deflect up as shown with the shoes 56. The ends 57 of the third rail sections23 The bell cranks 48 have each extending from tlieni the flexible or spring arms 58, and to the swinging end of each of the latter is secured a switch plug with the spring jaws 5,9.

'The said plug is insulated frornthe arm 5S, and is connected with the insulated wireA 60, the latter leading from the insulated" -feed cable 6l.

-Within each of the brackets 50 is bolted a supplementary bracket 65, which carries an insulating support 66, for the female meinber 67y of the vswitch plug with lthe jaws 59. A pin 68 holds the member 67 in place. A wire 69 connects the member 67 with the third rail 23.

A wire 70 connects the insulatedbracket 35 .with the fuse box 34, and from the lattery extends' a wire7l to a controller 72 which latter is connected with the motor 73 that drives the vehicle. y

To use the invention, as 'the -vehicle reaches the clearance space 74-between4 an accompanying pair of third'rail sections, the shoe 4l is disengaged therefrom and no current is passing through any section 23 oi' the third rail. As the shoe approaches the entering end of the third rail section beyond the said clearance space. the movable rail section 45 that accompanies the third rail is raised-and allows the shoe to enter between saidfsect-ion 45 and its third rail. is raised, the switchplugfwith the jaws 59 makes Contact with 'the e'i'n'ale member 67, and closes the electriccirciiit' between the feed wire6l and the third-rail'section. From the latter the current passies'through the shoes 4l, arm 37,

'bracket and wires 7 0 and71 to the conswitches, and the side plates 5l. being extending from troller 7 2 in the vehicle 20. The switch plug by reason of its construction with the twospring jaws 59 allows good 4contact with its female member-.67, and as the bell crank 48 is oscillating, lthe jaws 59- are moving relatively to their female member,'andcon sequently the Contact facesof the switches.

are rubbing on each other, and constitute a self cleaning switch.

It will be noted that when the shoe is .not engaging the movable cover rail sections 45, the said cover will. protect the third rail sections 23 vfrom dirt, snow and theiike, keeping. them clean for contact with said shoe. The brackets 50 protect ,the electric removable allow the adjustment of said switches with their appurtenances.n

Having described my invention Iclaim: l. In an electric railway-system the comu binatio'n of a vehicle andthird railusections, bell cranks fulcrumed adjacent tothe third rail sections, movable cover rails extending from one ofthe arms. of each electric switches for the third rail sections, Aeach electric switch having a switch plug the other arm of the bell crank, a main feed wire in circuit with said plug, -said switch also comprising a female member for the switch plug, an electric conduct-or connecting said female member with the third rail, a shoe extending from thevehicleand arranged to bear on ,the third rail j prising a female with fromI the vehicle, an arm pivoted to" thel endvof u.third rail sections i .p and an electric motorinthe vehicle inicir-.

-i jacent tothe f. 'switchegsY .sections underlthe movable cover'rails;

t 2. In'an elctric railway system the com-l bination of a vehicle andthrdrail sections,

the accompanying ends of each pair of thelatter separated from each other,=bell cranks fulcrumed adjacent tothe third rail'sections, hinged to one arm of eachbell crank, eleotric switches for the each electric switch having a switch -plug with 'spring jaws extending from the other arm of the bell circuit with said plug, said switch also commember` for the switch plug, a main'feed wire in circuit with said plug, -an electric insulated conductor connecting the female member of the switch the -third rail, .a bracket extending bracket, a shoe supportedv o nathe swinging the arm and'located to bearl on the under the said cover rails,

cuit with said. shoe.

3,"Inan electric,railway 'system the com- -binationjof a vehicle and .third-rail sections, the vaccompanyin ends ofeach of the ,latter Vdeected ownward1y-an separated from'. f hothenbell cranks-,fulcrumed ad i :third .rail sections; @over rails l from each other,

bell crank, i

cover rails of insulating materialA third rail sections,

crank, a main feed wire in y 'from' each other, thrdreil. section each electric switch having a switch plug extending from the other ann of the bcll crank, a main feed wire in circuit with said plug, said switch also comprising a female member for the switch plug, an electric conductor connecting said female member with one of the third rail sections, and a iiexiblc shoe extending from the vehicle arranged to vbear on the third rail sections under the cover rails.

4. In an'electric railway system the combination of a vehicle and third rail sections, the accompanying ends of each pair of the latter deflected downwardly and separated bell cranks fulcrumed adjacent to the 4third rail sections, cover rails hinged to one arm of each bell crank, elcctric switches for each third rail section, eachhaving a lswitch plug extending from the other arm of the bell crank, a main feed wire in circuit with said plug, said switch also vcomprising a female member for the switch lug, an electric conductor connecting said female member with one of the third rail sections,

a bracket extending from the vehicle,

an oscillating arm pivoted to the bracket, a flexible shoe extending from the'arm and arranged to bear on the third rail sections under the cover rails.

5. In an electric railway system the combination of a vehicle and third rail sections, bell cranks fulcrumed adjacent to the third railsections, swinging arms located between the bell cranks, cover` rails hinged to v`@no tarmof each hell crank and to the said :swinging arms, electric .thirdzrailsection, a flexi witches of each le arm for each .bell,crank, spring jaws one for each. electric switch extending from the flexible arm of a bell crank amain feed wire in circuit with said jaws, an electric conductor extending from each electric switch to its accompanying third rail section, an oscillating arm extending from the vehicle and a flexible elliptic sprlng shaped shoe extending from the oscillating arm, the shoe located to bear on -the third rail sections under the cover rails.

6. In'an electric railway system the combination of a vehicle, tracks for the vehicle, spindles adjacent to the tracks, insulated blocks on the spindles, third rail sections'se- ,cured to the blocks, the adjacent ends of each pair 4of third rail sections `separated yfrom each other, brackets adjacent to the sections, a bell crank 'Iside fofeach bracket, one-armof each bell fulcrumed to the incoverrails hinged to crank, the` adjacent ends yof each pair of cover rails separated electric switches for each one under each bracket, a

springarm extending from each bell crank,

spring -lj'aws extending from each spring Iarmfor]each-electric switch, a main feed tric switch to its accompanying third rail the county of New York and State of New section, a. exble shoe extendngjfrom the York this 29th day ofAprl, A. D. 1907. Vehicle and arranged. t'o :Oni I JR rail sections under the cover rails and an l' electric motor on the vehicle in circuit with Witnesses: 4 said shoe. I CHAS. A. CASE,

Signed at the borough of AManhattan in MARTIN ZIMANSKY.

ve cents each, by ddrssng the Copies of this patent may be obcned for 'Washingtom D. C.

" Commissioner of Patents, 

